This student wrote in response to our blog on School Security issues: The Case for School Resource Officers
Schools are meant to be safe spaces where students can learn and grow without fear of violence or danger. Unfortunately, school safety has become a pressing issue in recent years due to a number of high profile incidents of school shootings and other acts of violence.
When students feel unsafe or threatened, they may have trouble focusing on their school work and may struggle to perform academically.
When school violence occurs, it can have a ripple effect throughout the community, causing fear and anxiety among parents, teachers, and other community members. This can lead to a breakdown of trust and communication between schools and the community, making it more difficult to address other important issues that affect students education.
As for the armed person on campus, although I can see the necessity to provide protection to students by allowing an individual to act as a guard on campus, I also want to consider the possibility that this may not be the best option. How will it be determined that this individual isn’t potentially the perpetrator? My recommendation would be to hire a security guard, but instead of allowing that person to be armed, they could carry a taser or pepper spray (something to protect people but not to kill them).
